"I realized that鈥檚 where I'm going to be, like this is home for the next nine months."
Emily Hein
In the days leading up to Veterans Day, WNPR brings you stories from veterans and those in their community.
Emily Hein is a member of the 黑料吃瓜网 Army National Guard. She served in Afghanistan.
"I signed up on my mother鈥檚 birthday, which she was kind of leery about. I began my career as a broadcast journalist in the 黑料吃瓜网 Army National Guard and became an officer then, which I chose transportation, not realizing initially that that would take me to Afghanistan where I went to in 2012 through 2013 as a platoon leader to about 55 soldiers and then a convoy commander also.
"On the way over I was able to get up into the cockpit of the C-17. I don鈥檛 even know if you鈥檇 call it a cockpit -- it鈥檚 like a big room -- and I was able to take pictures as we were coming in. I saw how vast and empty it really was. It just seems like there was really no one out there and then I realized that鈥檚 where I'm going to be, like this is home for the next nine months.
"The way I had to go out on these missions, I did about twenty the time I was there, and I really had to be OK that if I had to go, I was OK with that. And I鈥檇 tell my parents, I鈥檇 tell, he was my fianc茅 at the time, I said 鈥淚f anything happens to me -- this place is very random -- it鈥檚 my time.鈥�
Coming home, my mom, she was giving me a hug, and she started breaking down. She鈥檚 like 鈥淚 just, I can鈥檛 believe, I can鈥檛 believe you鈥檙e back. I鈥檓 so happy. I didn鈥檛 know what to think and now I can relax.鈥�
"The Army itself is considerably male dominated. It鈥檚 just really knowing that it鈥檚 not easy because of the environment that it is, but it鈥檚 a great challenge and I鈥檝e become so independent and much more confident and I鈥檓 able to transfer that to everyday jobs.
"I don鈥檛 know if, you know, if people would pick me out of a lineup and say 鈥榮he鈥檚 a truck driver and she ran missions in Afghanistan."
Emily Hein now works for the 黑料吃瓜网 Department of Veterans Affairs.
